[Longitudinally extensive spinal cord lesion: etiology and imaging features].

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To explore the etiologies and imaging features of longitudinally extensive spinal cord lesion (LESCL). METHODS: The etiologies and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging features of 51 hospitalized LESCL patients from January 2011 to August 2013 were reviewed and retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Among them, the causes were neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD, n = 25), isolated longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (n = 6), subacute combined degeneration (n = 4), multiple sclerosis (MS, n = 3), paraneoplastic myelopathy (n = 3), anterior spinal artery syndrome (n = 3), acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (n = 2), spinal dural arteriovenous fistula (n = 2), intramedullary spinal cord metastasis (n = 1), myelopathic leukemia (n = 1) and syringomyelus (n = 1). For MR imaging, at least one lesion of each patient presented continuously longitudinal profile and whole-length spinal cord was involved in 11 patients. CONCLUSION: LESCL may be caused by various diseases. And the imaging features may aid its diagnosis despite a lack of specificity.